Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Jimmie Johnson — A somewhat promising day for Johnson ended on a frustrating note, as the points leader ran amongst the top 10 for the majority of the day, only to be stricken with severe handling problems in the final 20 laps of the Batman Begins 400. The No. 48 Lowe's Chevy faded to a 19th-place finish, and Johnson's point lead dwindled to 49 points over race winner Greg Biffle.
"Frustrating, indeed," says Johnson. "But nothing compared to the frustration felt by 100,000 fans at Indy plus a worldwide television audience intent on seeing a competitive Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, but instead finding themselves witness to a travesty of a race as two Ferrari's ran circles around four vastly inferior cars. That's frustration. But I digress."
Yes, you do, Jimmie. As does your point lead.
Johnson's 19th did allow Biffle back into striking distance for the points lead, but was not a disastrous result by any means. In fact, strike a 40th at Richmond from the record, and J.J. has no finish worse than 20th. With Biffle winning at a clip of one in every three races, Johnson will have to watch his back if he is to maintain the points lead. Johnson has experienced mixed results at the road course at Sonoma, site of the upcoming Dodge/Save Mart 350, with a best of fifth last year.
2. Greg Biffle — In conquering Michigan for his series-leading fifth win of the year, Biffle led a Roush Racing blitzkrieg, as the No. 16 Ford was the first of four in the Roush stable in the top five.
"You heard right," says Biffle. "Four Roush cars in the top five. That's right, four, which is only two less than the number of cars to start the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. If Formula 1 wants to strengthen its fan base in America, that's certainly not the way to do it."
You're right, Greg. Pretty foolish of F1 to pull a stunt like that on sacred American racing ground, and with a NASCAR event being held less than 250 miles away. F1 just shot themselves in the foot, and apparently, shot a few holes in some Michelin tires, as well.
Biffle's win took a sizable chunk from Jimmie Johnson's points lead, narrowing the gap to 49 points. Biffle hasn't had the points lead yet, and won't likely overtake Johnson at Sonoma, where Biffle's best is a 13th last year. Expect Biffle to play it relatively safe, but don't be surprised if he beats his career best on Sunday — he's quickly improving, and has the road course expertise of teammate Mark Martin to count on.
3. Mark Martin — Aside from his third-place finish in the Batman Begins 400, the highlight of Martin's weekend in Michigan was meeting Batman, with the Batmobile, on the track on Friday for a promotional spot for the opening of the movie. Martin's No. 6 Ford also sported a paint scheme featuring the Caped Crusader.
"I've got quite a bit in common with Batman," says Martin. "We're both icons in our respective fields, he in crime fighting, me in racing. We both have butlers named Alfred, and we're both constantly overshadowed by a teammate, he by that show-off and fellow Superfriend Superman, me by one of my several teammates who haven't paid their dues like I have yet still have more to show for it."
Martin has three consecutive top-10s, with two of those third places in races won by Biffle.
"See what I mean," complains Martin.
Martin has always been known as a a road course ace, and deservedly so — he has one win and 13 top-10s in 16 starts at Sonoma. Expect him to lead the way for Roush Racing this Sunday.
4. Carl Edwards — A week after winning at Pocono, Edwards backed up the victory with a fifth in Michigan in the Batman Begins 400, a day after beating the field in the Busch series' Meijer 300. What an appropriate setting to proclaim the 25-year-old Edwards NASCAR's "Boy Wonder."
"Come on," says Edwards. "Robin couldn't drive the Batmobile, much less a 200 mph race car, and in that suit, I have to question his manhood. Besides, with apologies to baseball Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount, Robin is a girl's name."
Edward's fifth gave him two consecutive top fives for the first time this year, and maintained his slot of fourth in the points, now 259 behind Johnson. As was the case at Pocono, Edwards surged to victory in his first race on the track, thanks to some simulated laps on a video game. Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation won't help him at Sonoma, where mastery, or simply mediocrity, of a road course requires more than a video game can provide. Then again, no one expected Edwards to have two wins at this point in the season. So, who knows where Edwards will finish. I do know this: if you plan to be in Las Vegas any time soon, lay $100 on Edwards to be the 2006 NASCAR champion.
5. Elliott Sadler — Crew chief Todd Parrot's decision not to pit under caution with 30 laps remaining proved to be decisive in Sadler's solid eighth-place finish in Michigan. On a day that saw few cautions, the importance of track position overrode that of fresh tires, and Sadler was able to hang on for his seventh top-10 result of the year. Sadler still holds the number three position in points, although he is only a slim nine points ahead of the oncoming Carl Edwards.
In his six starts at Infineon Raceway, Sadler has two top-10 finishes, and has finished out of the top 22 only once. He laid down his best qualifying effort there last year, starting 16th on his way to a 10th place finish. As a track that NASCAR visits only once a year, it takes drivers extra time and effort to understand the shifting, braking, and turning that a road course requires. Sadler is nearing that understanding, and should enjoy a top-10 result.
"And don't forget to look for me in the upcoming Disney movie Herbie: Fully Loaded," says Sadler. "I'm in there somewhere in what they call a 'cameo.' That means all my fans will pay eight bucks just to get a glimpse of me. And, by the way, for the fans of my brother, Hermie, check my web site for the premiere of my home movie Hermie: Fully Loaded. It's a thirty-minute documentary comprised strictly of footage of Hermie sleeping off a hangover. Action-packed!"
6. Tony Stewart — For the third time this year, Stewart led the most laps in a race yet failed to cash in with a win. His second place is Michigan was satisfying from the standpoint of scoring points, but Stewart remains mystified that he's still winless. Despite leading 97 of 200 laps, Stewart fell short of tracking down Greg Biffle after Stewart took fresh tires under caution with 30 to go, while Biffle and others chose to stay out.
"I'll tell you what happened," says Stewart. "I got caught up in a Roush blockade. It's interesting that four of the five Roush cars stayed out while I pitted. They just wanted to set up a buffer between me and Biffle. Who says there are no team orders in NASCAR? Roush got me this time — next time will be different. Either I pass, or somebody's tasting the wall."
With his second, Stewart leaps four markers to sixth in the points, trailing Johnson by 311 points. In six starts at Sonoma, Stewart has never finished out of the top 15, and won there in 2001. He also placed second in 2002. Stewart is one of NASCAR's premiere road course racers, and should be a top-10 factor on Sunday.
7. Ryan Newman — Newman captured his first ever pole at Michigan, blistering a lap at 194.232 mph to break the track record and claim his fifth pole of the year.
"And unlike Italy's Jarno Trulli, pole-sitter at the U.S. Grand Prix at Indy," says Newman, "I didn't pull into the garage after one warm-up lap and refuse to race."
You certainly didn't, Ryan, and I commend you for that. But it's not like you did a whole lot more with your pole. All you managed was a 15th-place, your second straight finish out of the top 10 after four consecutive top 10s. Can't you save some of that qualifying magic for race day, or are you just a one-lap wonder?
The No. 12 Penske crew may have nailed the qualifying setup, but the proper race set-up eluded them. Newman reported handling issues throughout the race, but still managed to remain in the top 10 on the track until late, when he slipped to 15th.
Newman's record at Sonoma is not what you would expect: he's finished better than he's qualified all three times he's raced there in Nextel races. His best qualifying effort there was a 13th in 2003, and his best finish, a fifth, ensued that same year. Newman is not a threat, yet, to challenge for poles on the road courses, but a top-10 finish he can handle.
8. Rusty Wallace — Wallace quietly sailed to his third top-10 in the last four races, logging a 10th at Michigan as the only Dodge in the top 10. Rusty held on the eighth-place in the Cup standings, 325 behind Johnson, with the road course at Sonoma next on the agenda.
"That's all well and good," says Wallace, "but as a 40-something racer, I feel compelled to respond to the plight of Sterling Marlin. Where does Ganassi racing get off taking Sterling's ride in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge and giving it to this David Stremme kid, just so Coors can market beer to a younger market. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the 44-year old coach potato who drinks a case in a sitting is Coors' core demographic, not some 24-year-old punk frat boy who struggles to down a six-pack."
My sentiments exactly, Rusty. The beer gut set is an oft-neglected target market.
In his last 10 starts at Sonoma, Wallace has failed to qualify in the top 10 only once. In those 10 races, he has five top-10s and one victory. Like Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, Wallace is known as one of the few drivers who manage road circuits as well as traditional ovals.
9. Kurt Busch — Busch was odd-Roush-man-out last Sunday at Michigan, finishing 12th as the only Roush Ford not in the top five. But being the low man on the Roush totem pole is not such a bad thing when Roush cars are dominating the race. But Kurt, answer me this. Why is it that the only two drivers in Roush's garage with championships, you and Matt Kenseth, are ranked lowest in the points among all Roush drivers?
"Hey pal," responds Busch, "I was never one to hog all the glory. Jack likes to have great drivers up and down the board. This is just the beginning of his plan for NASCAR domination. He's got a five-car team now. Eventually, he wants to own every car in the game and run a 43-car team."
Busch re-entered the top 10 in points, with the 12th-place, and probably would have finished higher had lapped traffic not held him up on the final restart. In any case, Busch's position is quite similar to his position at this point last year, his championship season. In 2004, after Michigan, Busch stood eighth in the points, with one win and six top-10s. This year, he's ninth in points, with one win, and seven top-10s. He's right where he needs to be.
Busch's best finish at Sonoma is a fourth in 2002, and he has qualified in the top five for the last three races there. Barring mechanical difficulties or mishaps on the track, Busch should challenge in the top 10.
10. Jeff Gordon — Gordon leads all legitimate Cup contenders in one category — number of 30th or worse finishes, with six. Luckily, his three wins have kept his Chase hopes alive, although now, for the first time this year, he stands more than 400 points behind points leader and teammate Johnson. His latest dud, a 32nd finish in Michigan, leaves him 12th in the points, and struggling to find a rhythm.
The No. 24 Monte Carlo's problems began early, as he fell out of the top 20 within 20 laps after starting ninth. The troubles were tire related, as Gordon and the car could not find harmony with the Goodyear tire package, resulting in patterns of wear that left crew chief Robbie Loomis bewildered.
"I guess it was just a crappy day for tire manufacturers everywhere," says Loomis. "First of all, at Indianapolis, in the most technologically-advanced form of racing, Michelin can't even produce a tire to withstand a slightly banked Brickyard turn, forcing 14 F1 drivers to abandon the race. Then, I don't know what happened to our Goodyear's here. Maybe they stuck us with a batch of retreads made of blown 18-wheeler tire scraps picked up off the interstate."
Gordon wasn't the only Hendrick driver with tire woes. The right front tire on the No. 25 Chevy blew as Brian Vickers slowed to enter pit road on lap 44, crashing him into the tire barrier at the pit road entrance. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch both experienced badly worn tires on several occasions.
If Gordon can't turn things around at Infineon Raceway, then his Chase hopes may be fruitless. Gordon is the NASCAR career leader in road course victories (8), with four of those coming at Sonoma. On three of those occasions, Gordon swept the pole and race. This race is his for the taking. A disastrous result here, and Gordon's championship hopes may be dashed.
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